Green Options

Call me a magpie if you must but I’m a big fan of shine & shimmer. Sure, I’ve long given up those eighties skintight silver leggings worn with a matching silver & gold headband (which I proudly - at the time - made), but whether it’s sequins, glitter or a simple sheen, I’m often overheard oooing and ahhhing over just about anything with luminosity. Kind of unusual then that I’m newly smitten with the new Matte Velvet Nail Polish from Zoya, but they seem just right for the winter/fall season ahead. All the color, none of the shine and a deep, velvet finish that’s completely new (and fashionable) - what’s not to love! We’ve featured Zoya Nail Polish here before but in case you haven’t heard, this non-toxic and natural nail polish allows you to go a little more green with your nail care products, without giving up your glam.

Are you an aspiring model? Do you know one? Want to be a green model? Enter Project Green Search! www.projectgreensearch.com. Project Green Search is looking for the next green “it girl”:  The woman who wants to take a stand, get noticed, and align her career endeavors with her personal beliefs, to be an advocate for the environment, animal welfare, fair trade, and human rights.  She’s a model, spokesperson, host, brand ambassador and all around green model citizen, for progressive, sustainable, ethical companies, from fashion & beauty to cars & computers.  Are you the one? Entry for the 2009 competition period will be open until Sunday, October 11^th, 2009. Starting Monday, October 12^th, the general public will be able to view entrants online and vote for their favorite ten candidates.  All search contestants will be required to donate a minimum 10 hours volunteer time to an environmental non-profit of their choice.

I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t enjoy summer & warmth, but while we’re soaking up the sunshine and relaxing there are some extra preventative measures that need to be taken to ensure our skin, hair & bodies are given the right TLC during these lazy, hazy days. Whether you’re at the beach or pool, UV Rays, salt, sun & chlorine all wreak havoc on skin & hair, but while most of us understand the need for sunscreen & moisturizers, almost all of us forget to take care of our tresses! Aveda have just launched a new hair care collection called the 16hr UV Defense & Recovery System that protects & restores for, well… up to 16hrs.

Summer is here and it’s time to treat your body, face and hair to a sun-kissed Australian beach holiday with the Lucy B Frangipani Bronzing Shimmer Oil! Made with organic coconut, jojoba & sunflower oils for ultra skin hydration and infused with signature Australian Bush Flower Essences, this shimmer oil is great for achieving a gorgeous, subtle glow all over your body, on décolletage, scrunched into hair [...]

I most often think of anti-aging products as related to skincare and I’m fastidious about taking care of my skin, but how many of us remember that hair suffers from the same aging process – and hands up who treats their hair as well as their face? C’mon, be honest! Having recently tried Rare El’ements and experiencing glossy, healthy, strong, shiny hair in place of my usual frizzy, slightly dry, fine locks, I’m a new convert to the world of anti-aging hair care. Rare El’ements set out to revolutionize the mainstream hair care industry by creating products that combine natural luxury with the same performance that salon professionals depend on, and in my opinion, they succeeded.

With Memorial Day signalling the official start to Summer, it’s time to start thinking SPF. If you’re still housing old tubes from last year or god forbid, the year before, now’s the time to throw it out and get yourself a fresh batch. Before you hit the stores for a new stash though, know this… Out of more than a thousand sunscreens analyzed by EWG (Environmental Working Group) for safety & effectiveness, stability in sunlight, broad-spectrum protection against UVB + UVA radiation, and containing few if any ingredients with significant or known health hazards – only a measly 15% measured up. Further, many sunscreen ingredients break down in the sun, in a matter of minutes or hours, then let UV radiation through to the skin.

Going through the day without being enveloped in a beautiful fragrance is as unthinkable as having no music, no coffee and god forbid… no food – that’s how seriously I take my obsession with scent. Smell is one of the most powerful of the senses and has the ability to directly impact your mood & emotional wellbeing, stimulating our emotions and awakening our senses. Once in a blue moon, a new brand comes along that blows me away with sophistication, effectiveness, a great price point, fantastic brand philosophy and overall sheer beauty. Acorelle Organic Eau de Parfum is one such line. Made by a French fragrance house who know what a fine fragrance is, there isn’t a single note lavender, patchouli or rose among this gorgeous collection. Instead what you’ll find are scents that have depth, flair, unique personality, and that meld into your skin for an olfactory experience that’s simply blissful and beautiful – not to mention good for you & good for the planet.

After 4yrs of exploring, critiquing and lauding the modern world of green, Treehugger decided it was high time to put their heads together to nominate, debate and select what they believe to be the best-of-the-best when it comes to today’s environmentalism - dubbed the ‘First Annual Best Of Green Awards. Once the many hours of discussion amongst the massive brainpower of a group of roughly 50 writers from 5 continents concluded, it was declared that in the Fashion & Beauty Category, Futurenatural is the ‘Best Online Beauty Shop’!! Treehugger has always been at the forefront of helping to bring sustainability to the masses and promoting green as mainstream. For Futurenatural to be recognized as the Best Online Beauty Shop by TH & their global team is a HUGE honor.

You may not immediately see the effects of overexposure to the sun. According to scientific studies, the skin actually keeps burning long after your sun exposure has ceased, and in case you forget to cover up and apply sunscreen, the resulting sunburn can be painful as well as dangerous. It may actually take up to 24 hours before the full damage is visible but first-degree sunburns cause redness and will heal, [...]

Kaia Bamboo Facial Cleansing Cloths are a brilliant, 3-in-1 quick cleansing solution that removes all traces of makeup, daily grime & buildup. Inspired by a sustainable clothing designer, not only is bamboo cashmere soft to touch making it perfect for sensitive skins & eye makeup removal, it is naturally antimicrobial and antifungal, requiring no pesticides to grow. Formulated to bring convenience to our lives with essentially three products in [...]

I’m tired of the ridiculous stigma attached to discussing this subject and deeply concerned that the worlds biggest, most trusted brand of lubricant is KY Jelly - a toxic petroleum cocktail - with a whopping 52% market share. I recently wrote an article for Coco Eco Magazine that discusses this very subject, with the aim of bringing the topic out of the bedroom and into the open!  The following will be a little wordy but well worth the read, and for those of you who at the end of reading are compelled to make some changes, there are now brilliant alternatives such as Yes Organic Personal Lubricant (UK Soil Association certified), that utilize plant polymers, not silicone or glycerin, delivering all the superior performance of a conventional lube, without any harmful addtitives.